Recently, I’ve been learning more and more about UX design (user experience design) so I can better serve my clients, gain new skills, improve my work + really, just because I thought it’d be cool to learn. As I’m taking + watching different classes on Skillshare, one of the biggest + most helpful pieces of advice came from learning about user personas. Since I struggled a lot with figuring out my ideal client + target market myself, learning about user personas was game changing. So, if you’re struggling to decide on an ideal client, here’s how user personas  help you gain clarity + define your target audience.

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What are user personas? 

CareerFoundry defines user personas as, “a fictional representation of your ideal customer. A persona is generally based on user research and incorporates the needs, goals, and observed behavior patterns of your target audience.”

How do user personas help you gain clarity on your target market (especially when you have a multifaceted businesses)?

So when I was struggling with identifying my ideal client, I kept feeling that I was restricting myself and limiting what I could potentially offer as a business. My dream for Dragonfly Ave was to offer design services + sell products ( including website templates) alongside a lifestyle/food/business blog. It all seemed very scattered and kept feeling like it may be a stretch for an ideal client to want ALL those things. What I realized when I learned about user personas was that I could have an ideal audience with 3 distinct users types looking for specific things. For example: One user persona would want custom design services, another would want digital goods + finally, one that was looking for free, quality advice for a better business + life. Now, ultimately they may have different journeys but I could work under the assumption that they were simply at different stages and Dragonfly Ave was fulfilling different needs + challenges throughout each stage.

Creating user personas help because they show you how your business may serve different audiences + help you get rid of the scarcity mentality. They help you find the common thread that’s the foundation of your business. Most important, they help you understand each personas’ needs, wants + problems. When you have a business that has multiple layers or offerings, it can feel like you aren’t serving just 1 ideal client and that can sometimes make you feel like you’re not doing something right. But the truth is, when you have multiple offerings, you are serving multiple ideal clients and user personas help you create that.

If you’re interest in learning more about UX + user personas, this is my favorite Skillshare class… plus you get 2 months FREE!

It’s important to have a strong foundation when it comes to your target market/idea client. However, at times (especially when you have a multifaceted business) it can become much more difficult to do so. User personas help you gain clarity + define your target audience because you aren’t creating just one. It opens your eyes to seeing the different stages, journeys + types of people your business targets and focusing in on the most important.  

LEAVE A COMMENT! What was the biggest shift that happened when you started making decisions with your ideal target market in mind?